


500 words you should know: 333- Paradigm

by B_stHelier



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: Drabble, Young Mac, planning, set about 2 weeks before Phryne's 18th, set circa 1915, young Phryne
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-30
Updated: 2015-09-30
Packaged: 2018-04-24 04:43:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4905925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/B_stHelier/pseuds/B_stHelier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phryne and Mac discuss their possible futures and what they'd like to do. </p><p>paradigm<br/>noun<br/>1.<br/>a typical example or pattern of something; a pattern or model.<br/>"society's paradigm of the ‘ideal woman’"</p>
            </blockquote>





	500 words you should know: 333- Paradigm

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fire_Sign](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fire_Sign/gifts).



> paradigm  
> noun  
> 1.  
> a typical example or pattern of something; a pattern or model.  
> "society's paradigm of the ‘ideal woman’"  
> There was more than one definition for paradigm but this is the one I decided to use.  
> This is set sometime in 1915, in this story Phryne turned 18 at the end of 1915 making her a little bit older than what it said when I looked up her age. I think her story line makes more sense with her being slightly older, especially the bit about her being a nurse in France during WW1. In this story Mac is also only a year older than Phryne (two years at the most). Hope you enjoy.

paradigm  
noun  
1.  
a typical example or pattern of something; a pattern or model.  
"society's paradigm of the ‘ideal woman’"

“So what do you plan on doing? I mean once you’re eighteen that is. I can’t imagine you being content to sit around Collingswood waiting for your husband to come home, raising a family.” Mac laughed at the sheer absurdity of the idea before accepting Phryne’s offer of a cigarette. “I’m serious though Phryne, you’re almost old enough to leave this place, where are you thinking of going?” Phryne smiled as she contemplated the idea. She wasn’t too keen on leaving Melbourne and she didn’t really want to have to say goodbye to Mac; she couldn’t even remember a time when she hadn’t been friends with Mac, of course they’d had their fair share of falling out but there had never been a time when they’d not been friends. However the idea that soon she’d be old enough to go wherever she may please (so long as it didn’t cost too much) thrilled her, all the places she could go, all the possibilities. To top it all off she could finally be rid of her father. “I don’t know. There’s so much I could do, so much I want to do but...”

Phryne trailed off at the end, knowing she didn’t need to finish her sentence. Her family weren’t hard up, they had a reasonable income but her father was notoriously irresponsible with money. He’d drink away most of what they had and gamble with what they didn’t have. They always had something to eat but there had been the occasional day when there hadn’t been enough. Days when her father had spent a little too much so her mother had to make what they had left stretch far enough to pay for food as well as the rent. "What do you plan on doing anyway Mac? You’re not exactly the marrying type either.” Phryne was startled out of her reverie by Mac’s scornful laugh and couldn’t help allowing a small smile to grace her face. It was quite likely that a truer statement had never been made about Mac.

Mac pondered the question while she took another drag from the cigarette- speaking of which, “How did you manage to get your hands on a brand like these?” Mac savored the sensation as she inhaled- these cigarettes were definitely a finer cut than even Phryne’s usual standards. “It’s not my fault they fell out that bloke’s pocket! And besides you didn’t answer my question.” Phryne crossed her arms and pouted, mimicking the expression of a petulant child. So she’d nicked them Mac concluded, typical Phryne. She was always looking for ways to risk getting into trouble; Mac had to admit she worried about Phryne sometimes. The slightly younger woman seemed to show a number of criminal tendencies. However Mac did have to admit she hadn’t answered the question, “I got a letter this morning from a medical school in London, it took a lot of hard work and some convincing but they’ve agreed to let me study there. I’ll have to wait until the next study year starts but I’ve been admitted.”

Phryne smiled and excitedly hugged Mac, bouncing on her heels and suddenly brimming with barely contained enthusiasm. “Oh Mac, that’s wonderful news! So you’ll be moving to London? Gosh that’s so far away though, I’m so happy for you all the same.” Phryne knew how much this meant to Mac, she knew that Mac had dreamt of going to medical school ever since she was young. The dream had only been reinforced when she heard of the likes of Doctor Elizabeth Blackwell and Doctor Elizabeth Garrett Anderson. Phryne couldn’t blame Mac for taking the opportunity that moving to London represented for her, she’d worked so hard to get this far- Phryne doubted that anything could stop her now.  
“Given anymore thought to your own future during our conversation?” Phryne took a moment to consider everything, she wanted to go places but she didn’t necessarily have the money to do it. She supposed she could try and find work but there wasn’t that much available to women. “I don’t know exactly, all I know is that I don’t want to be society’s paradigm of the ideal woman or the ideal housewife, I could work but there’s not much available to women, even with the war I doubt any of the factories or the shops would take me on. I have no experience with anything like that.” Mac thought for a while and considered all the options she could think of, Phryne could try and get into a university somewhere but Mac didn’t really think that Phryne would be able to stick with it. It’s not that Phryne wasn’t intelligent, she was one of the most intelligent people Mac knew, however she was prone to boredom and something as routine as university probably wouldn’t be able to captivate her attentions. As Phryne had pointed out most shops and factories wouldn’t appreciate a woman like Phryne and Mac knew that Phryne would be bored out of her wits by the end of the second day working in either place. Phryne needed something that had variation and at the same time and needed to be able to actually get a job in whatever she chose. “I suppose you could try nursing. If you volunteered for it, they’d arrange the training and because of the war they’re going to need plenty more nurses. They say it’ll be over by Christmas but that’s the same as they said last year. They’ll need nurses for however long this war lasts.” Mac took one last drag from the cigarette before she ground it out with her heel. Phryne considered the idea for a long while before turning and smiling at Mac, “You know? I think that’s a brilliant idea of yours Mac”

**Author's Note:**

> Also Phryne stealing things and getting into trouble is how I reckon she learnt the tricks of the trade and her father being irresponsible with money is something I believe he'd do before he had as much money as he inherited from the estate.


End file.
